The Road of Adventure
by Alkaiser
Summary: Ash tries to earn his first 'rank badge'. What are rank badges you ask? Read to find out.


This fanfic is based on the asumption that Ash doesn't become pokemon master. This is based about a week after that, after Ash decides to travel for another year to get stronger for the next Pokémon League Tournament. And while I'm at it, I don't own any of these characters, except for Zach and Sazuku. If for some strange reason you want to use these characters, ask me. 

Put title here 

Chapter 1 "So where exactly are we going?" Ash asked. "Why are you always asking us? Aren't you supposed to be the one who decides where we're going?" complained Misty. "Well usually I would, but we don't exactly have a place to go to ever since I got all the badges." "Not entirely true, Ash," stated Brock. "Huh?" "Have you ever heard of 'Rank Badges'?" "No, what are those?" "They're badges that you can collect at smaller gyms throughout the world. I think there's even one in Pallet." "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" "It never came up." Ash sighed. "So where's the closest one?" "Who knows? There are tons of rank badges, and one ever gets them all, because new ones keep entering. We might as well just travel along until we find one." "What's the closest town then?" "Krease." "Well, let's go!" And with that, the trio (and Pikachu) took off. 

Chapter 2 Ash, Misty, and Brock entered the town's Pokémon Center. As always, there was a Nurse Joy there (they could be their own race). And also, as always, Brock went into his 'pretty girl mode'. As Brock went up to Nurse Joy and tried to charm her, Ash noticed a poster on the wall. It read: CHALLENGE OUR GYM FOR THE EMBER BADGE. "Alright! There's a gym here!" Ash yelled to his friends. "That's great Ash," Misty said, while tending to Togepi, "but I think we're going to have to drag Brock there." Ash looked at Brock, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to get Joy to go out with him. "No problem. Bulbasaur go! Help us with Brock!" "Bulba!" the plant pokémon said as it came out of it's pokéball. It grabbed Brock with it's vines and proceeded to carry him out the door following Ash and Misty. 

They got to the gym and looked at it. It wasn't very fancy. They walked in. Inside was a very nondescript arena (much like Surge's) and three thirteen year-olds sitting on a mat in the back of the room, reading magazines. "I'm here to challenge the gym leader here for an Ember Badge," Ash said. The three teens looked at each other. "Whose turn is it?" asked a girl with black hair falling just beneath her shoulders. She was wearing a green T-shirt with jeans. "I think it's Zach's," replied a boy with brown hair in a buzz cut. He was wearing a brown T-shirt and sport shorts. The kid who Ash figured must be Zach stood up. He had long brown hair just shy of shoulder length. He was wearing a plain red T-shirt and black sweatpants. "Ok, fine, I'll do it." He got up and looked at the trio. "I'm Zach, you opponent. These are my friends Chris and Shannon. Which one of you will challenge me?" he asked. "I will," Ash said. "It'll be a one on one match. Choose your pokémon now." "All right, Pikachu, I choose you!" "Sazuku, go!" What emerged looked like a bird that was on fire. "What's that?" Ash asked as he pulled out Dexter. "Sazuku: A fire/flying pokémon. Sazuku is so much like the legendary Moltres, some speculate that Sazuku evolves into it." "All right then, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" "Sazuku, Flame wall." A wall of fire cancelled out Pikachu's attack. 'The same technique Blaine used' Ash thought. "Pikachu, Thunder! Break through the wall!" "You can't break through" he was interupted when the bolt of electricity did break through the barrier and struck Sazuku. It was hurt, but not down. "Unbelievable! Well then, Flame thrower!" "Agility!" Pikachu dogged the attack. "Now, Thunder wave!" A wave of lightning hit Sazuku and it fell to the ground, paralyzed. "Ah! Sazuku… return." He looked at Ash. "You're pretty good, and that Pikachu's very strong. No one has ever been able to break through the fire wall without water." He walked over to him. "You earned this," he said, holding out a badge the looked like the sun. "Alright!" Ash said as he held the badge up for his friends to see, "I got an Ember Badge!" "You guys better leave," Shannon informed them, "we're going to be closing soon, it's almost seven." They nodded and left for the Pokémon Center. 

Chapter 3 The next day, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu decided to stay in town a for bit and enjoy the sights: a great view Mt. Krease (which the town was named after), a little traveling in a forest at the foot of the mountain, and now a picnic lunch in the city park. "Great cooking Brock!" Ash said in between bites of tuna sandwiches. "Yeah!" Misty agreed. Just as Brock was about to reply, he noticed something. "Hey, look at that!" he exclaimed as he pointed to what he was looking at. They looked to where he was pointing. Team Rocket was walking down the street! "Team Rocket!" Ash yelled, practically dropping his sandwich. "They don't seem to see us, though," Misty pointed out. Then something surprising happened. James threw a smoke bomb in the street. A car came and swerved, not being able to see, and bumped a kid on the street, sending him to ground. The car then ran into a tree near the edge of the park. The group got up and ran toward the accident. As they got closer they could just make out the person who was knocked to the ground by the car. He started to get up and look around. Smoke was still in the street, with T.R. somewhere hidden in it. "Isn't that the kid you faced Ash?" Brock asked as they got closer. "Yeah, err, Zach, I think," Ash said. Zach got up and ran to the car looked inside. As the group got even closer, they could hear what was being said. "Shannon! Mr. and Mrs. Zelt! Are you alright?!" he asked frantically. "Fine, kid." "Yes, dear." "Yeah, thanks Zach," Shannon said, "just a little surprised." Zach turned to the smoke, which was starting to clear. "Show yourselves, you thieves!" he yelled angrily. "Prepare for trouble!" "And make it double!" "To protect the world-" "Shut up, thieves!" Zach interrupted. "You interrupted the Team Rocket motto," Jesse began. "So now prepare to fight!" James finished. "Meowth! That's right!" "Arbok, Likitongue, go!" "Wheezing, Victrebell, go!" Zach, now very ticked off, took five of his own pokémon. "Pokéballs, go!" he yelled. Out came a Sazuku, Wartortle, Gloom, Beedrill, and Magnamite. "Cool, a Wartortle!" Ash exlaimed as he pulled out Dexter. "Wartortle: the water-turtle pokémon. It uses its wing-like ears to maneuver better in water." Zach had still hadn't noticed Ash and co., and was paying attention to T.R., who were looking a little frightened at the array of pokémon. Which didn't stop them from being ignorant. "Arbok, Likitongue, Wrap!" "Wheezing, Victrebell, Acid!" "Flame thrower Bubble beam Razor leaf Pin missile Thunderbolt!" This was a little too much for Team Rocket. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" "That's what you get when you mess with Zach of Krease Gym," Zach bragged. He then turned around and finally noticed Ash and co. "You guys see the whole thing?" he asked. "Uh huh." "Yep." "We sure did." "How did you know they were thieves?" Ash asked. "They were at the gym earlier and tried to steal the pokémon," Zach explained. Just then, Shannon and her family were getting out of their car. As her parents surveyed the damage of the car, Shannon walked over to the group. "Aren't those the kids who were at the gym yesterday?" "Yep." "They saw the whole thing?" "Uh huh." "You guys want to join us for lunch?" Brock asked. "Sure." As they walked over to where they were sitting, they noticed their food was swarming with ants, effectively ruining the picnic. "Why don't you guys come over to my house for lunch?" asked Shannon. "OK." 

Chapter 4 The group was eating hot dogs over at Shannon's house. "Thanks for lunch, Shannon!" Brock said. [For those of you wondering, Brock hasn't gone gaga because Shannon is two years younger than him] "No problem, after all, you helped me." "Actually, we didn't do anything," Misty said, "Zach did. We just watched." Little did they know that three figures were watching them, and plotting. "So, what's the plan to capture Pikachu?" Meowth questioned. "We're not going after Pikachu this time," Jesse answered "WHAT?!" "Well, what we'll do is kidnap the two Gym Leaders there," James said. "And how, may I ask, will you two bozos do that?" "Team Rocket certified Knock-out gas!" J&J said excitedly. "Why are we kidnapping the gym leaders?" Meowth asked. "Because the boss said the boy was a witness to a crime he committed," Jesse explained. "And when the brats come after them, we'll get Pikachu!" James finished. "Now put your gas masks on," Jesse. They all did. Jesse threw the gas bomb into the kitchen. "Huh? What's that?!" Zach exclaimed as gas poured into the room. He never got an answer, because everyone slumped into unconsciousness. 

My first fanfic completed! Tell me what you think! Will Team Rocket's plan succeed for once? What's Zach's secret? 


End file.
